of chicago



061:. 15, 1929. w, w ISAYERS ET AL v 1,731,911-

METHOD OF REDUCING CLEARANCE WIDTH OF CRAWLER CRANES Filed May 17. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l fizz/Wm:

Oct. 15, 1929. w. w. SAYERS ET AL. 1,731,911

METHOD OF REDUCING CLEARANCE WIDTH OF CRAWLER RANES Filed May 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizz/efifans' Patented Oct. 15, 1929 Darren STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM VT. SAYERS AND ASGER EILERSGAARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS TO LINK-BELT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS METHOD OF REDUCING CLEARANCE WIDTH 0F CRAWLER CRANES Application filed May 17;

Our invention relates to improvements in crawler cranes, shovels, etc., and has for one object to provide a new and improved means whereby the overall width of crawler machines may be reduced for shipment.

Large size crawler machines require relatively wide and heavy traveling treads which project laterally beyond the space occupied by the working platform lower framework, upper rotating base and house. In order that a crawler machine may be shipped by rail, the dimensions of the various parts may be made just as big as they can be to accommodate the machinery while still falling inside railroad clearance dimensions. The traveltreads themselves must of necessity for some machines project beyond the railroad clearance limits and so when the machine is to be shipped by rail, it frequently becomes necessary to remove the traveling treads or otherwise dismantle the machine. In our solution of the problem we propose to place on the railroad car a track narrow enough to come within railroad clearance limits upon which the supporting roller or sprockets which ordinarily ride upon the traveling treads may travel and be supported. This track may take the form of a rigid straight section just long enough to support the rollers and sprockets or may take the form of articulated'sections of necessary length laid on the car. In either case such section may terminate in railroad stop members so that when the machine is run onto the car and onto the auxiliary portable track sections, it engages the forward stops at the end of the track sections which preferably forms a part of or is attached thereto and thereby longitudinal movement of the crawler crane is prevented. After the crane has been moved onto the tracks and has engaged thestop at the front end a second stop will be positioned at the rear end of the tracks to hold the machine against forward and backward movement and the tracks themselves will prevent side movement as they are confined between the rollers and sprockets.

If the machine is of the type where the driving sprockets are also supporting rollers or of the type where the driving and take up 1928. Serial No. 278,556.

sprockets are on the same horizontal plane as the supporting rollers, then by using a'type of track with teeth or lugs to engage the sprockets the machine can move itself up into place on the tracks by use of its own driving mechanism. If, however the ma chine is of the common type where the driving and take-up sprockets are above the supporting rollers this cannot be done. In this case, it is only necessary to lead one of the cables out from the machine and attach it to an anchor and the machine can then pull itself onto and along the track by its own power.

Our invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figures 1, 2 and 3 and 4 show diagrammatic side elevation and plan view of the various operations from the time the machine is moved onto the car under its own power with the traveling treads to the time when it is positioned on a railroad car for shipment with the traveling treads removed;

Figure 5 is a detail side and end view of the traveling tread;

Figure 6 is a side elevation and section through the shipping treads.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the several figures.

A is a railroad car of the usual type. A is the crawler truck having supporting rollers A take-up sprockets A drive sprockets A" and a closed continuous traveling tread A on each side. A is the turn table. A" is the machinery and operators house containing the engine and controller mechanism for performing all the working functions of the machine.

B is a winding drum, B a cable leading forward from the winding drum and anchored at the'forward end of the car or other fixed point whereby the machine may pull itself along the tracks'by winding up the cable on the drum independent of the propelling machinery operating thedrive sprockets. B B are relatively narrow supporting tracks. They are articulated and so built as to engage the rollers A and sprockets A A in exactly the same manner as the traveling tread B are similar tracks except that they are of one piece. It will be noted that the tracks B which are articulated may be made up of longer links than the track A this being permissible because they are articulated merely for convenience in handling since they reston the car floor and do not tend to encircle take-up and driving sprockets as do the traveling treads. B are stop members mounted on the tracks B or B as the case may be. These stop members may be held in position with respect to these tracks in any suitable way either by being bolted to them or as shown in Figure 4 by being articulated to the end of the track. These stop members B and B engage the sprockets and limit the forward or backward movement of the machine.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows:

The machine is run onto a railroad car in the usual manner just as it is maneuvered in any space on any platform until it reaches the position shown in Figure 1. In the mean-time the shipping tracks will have been properly placed on the railroad car floor. The ordinary traveling treads will be disconnected at the joint C and connected to the end of the shipping tracks, B The remainder of the traveling treads extending from the joint C around the take-up sprockets across the supporting rollers and about the driving sprockets, will be moved backward and piled upon the car as shown at C The machine will then be moved forward into the position shown in Figure 3. This being done either by winding up the cable as above pointed out or by the drive sprockets. They are properly located to engage the shipping tracks. The

nd of the traveling treads at C will be disconnected from the shipping tracks and the traveling treads sections will be disposed as indicated at C or otherwise so as to distribute the weight along the car floor. The stops B if not already in place will be put in place as indicated in Figure 4 and the stops B will be put in place thehouse and machine frame will be blocked or anchored in position in the usual manner on the car and the apparatus will then be ready for shipment.

lVhen the destination is reached and it is desired to unload and put the machine into service, the operationsare reversed. The stop B is removed, the traveling treads are connected to the shipping tracks, the machine either moves itself backoffthe shipping tracks or is rotated through anangle of and the cable anchored to the other end of the car or some other fixed point. The cable is wound up andmoves themachine ofl' the'shipping tracks onto the traveling treads. The traveling treads are piled up as indicated in Figure 3, the; machine is moved back to its Figure 2 position, the traveling treads and shipping tracks are disconnected and the traveling treadsa-re assembled and connected up around the sprockets and rollers as indicated in Figure 1.

In this connection, it will be noted that the traveling treads overhang the car platform as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. After the less be understood that under many conditions our invention is equally applicable to a device which may fall well inside railroad clearance or well outside railroad clearance but nevertheless falls within certain predetermined andarbitrary clearance ranges for instance in connection with tunnel work our invention is applicable or in connection with other shipment or any other conditions where it is necessary to have a device which can be reduced for transportation witl in certain predetermined clearances to a point where its dimensions are smaller than they are in working operation.

We claim:

1. The process of preparing crawler vehicles for railroad shipment which consists in moving the vehicle under its own power into position on a railroad car, disconnecting the traveling treads or track. adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected track longitudinally backward to clear the vehicle and piling such track on the car, connecting the forward ends of the traveling treads or tracks with a shipping track placed on the car moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping tracks, locking the vehicle in place on the shipping tracks and moving the traveling treads transversely inward until they are entirely within the area of car clearance.

2. The process of preparing crawler vehicles for railroad shipment which consists in moving the vehicle into position on a railroad car, disconnecting the traveling treads adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected tr ack longitudinally backward to clear the vehicle and iii-lin such track connectin the forward Jr '3 7 C ends of the traveling tread with a shipping track on the car,moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping track-s, locking the vehicle in place on the shipping tracks and moving the traveL ing treads transversely inward until they are entirely within the area of car clearance.

3. The process of preparing crawler vehicles for rail-road shipment which consists in moving the vehicle into position on a railroad car, disconnecting the traveling treads adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected track longitudinally backward to clear the vehicle and j. iling such track, connecting the forward ends of the traveling tread with a shipping track on the car, moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping tracks, locking the vehicle in place on the shipping tracks.

4%. In combination a railroad fiat car of such size as to fall within railroad clearance, a crawler vehicle having traveling treads of such size as when mounted on a railroad car to extend beyond railroad clearance, the re mainder of the vehicle falling within railroad clearance, a shipping track on the railroad car falling within railroad clearance and adapted to support the vehicle, the traveling treads being adapted to be disconnected at one or more points and the free end thereof to be connected to the shipping track to permit movement 01 the vehicle from the traveling treads onto the shipping tracks.

5. In combination a railroad flat car of such size as to fall within railroad clearance, a crawler vehicle having traveling treads of such size as when mounted on a railroad car to extend beyond railroad clearance, the remainder of the vehicle falling within railroad clearance, a shipping track on the railroad car falling within railroad clearance, and adapted to support the vehicle, the trav-- cling treads being adapted to be disconnected at one point and the free end thereof to be connected to the shipping track to permit movement of the vehicle from the traveling treads onto the shipping track, stop members adapted to be removably attached to the shipping track and to engage the running gear of the vehicle to prevent further movement thereof along such track.

6. In combination a railroad fiat car of such. size to fall within railroad clearance, a crawler vehicle having traveling treads of such size as when mounted on a railroad car to extend beyond railroad clearance, the remainder of the vehicle falling within railroad clearance, a shipping track placed on the railroad car falling within railroad clearance and adapted to support the vehicle, the

traveling treads being adapted to be connectclose the vehicle running gear and adapted,

to be disconnected at a predetermined articulation joint, a shipping track adapted to support the vehicle to be connected to one end of the articulated traveling treads, but not adapted to encircle thevehicle running gear.

8. In combination with a crawler vehicle, articulated traveling treads adapted to encir cle the vehicle running gear and adapted to be disconnected at a predetermined articulation joint, shipping tracks adapted to support the vehicle to be connected to one end of the articulated traveling treads but not adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear, removable stop members associated with the shipping tracks adapted to engage the running gear to prevent movement thereof along the tracks.

9. In combination, with a crawler vehicle,

articulated traveling treads adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear and adapted to be disconnected at an articulation joint, a shipping track adapted to support the vehicle to be connected at one end of the articulate traveling treads but not adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear, members on the shipping tracks adapted to interlock with the drive members in the running gear to permit vehicle movement under its own power along the tracks.

10. In combination with a crawler vehicle, an articulated traveling tread or track adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear and adapted to be disconnected at an articulated joint, a shipping track adapted to support the vehicle, the traveling tread extending outwardly beyond the running gear, the shipping track extending outwardly only as far as the running gear.

11. The process of preparing crawler vehicles for railroad shipment which consists in moving the velncle under its own power into position on a railroad car, disconnect- I ing the traveling treads or tracks adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected track longitudinally backward to clear the vehicle and piling such track on the car, connecting the forward ends of the traveling treads or tracks with a shipping track placed on the car, moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping tracks, and moving the traveling treads transversely inward until they are entirely within the area of car clearance.

12. The process of preparing crawler vehicles for railroad shipment which consists in moving the vehicle under its own power into position on a railroad car, disconnecting the traveling treads or tracks adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected track longitudinally backward to clear the vehicle and piling such track on the car connecting the forward ends of the traveling treads or tracks with a shipping track placed on the car, moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping tracks.

13. The process of preparing crawler vehicles for railroad shipment which consists in moving the vehicle into position on a railroad car, disconnecting the traveling treads adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected track longitudinally backward to clear the vehicle and piling such track connecting the forward ends or the traveling tread with a shipping track on the car, moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping tracks and moving the traveling treads transversely inward until they are entirely within the area of car clearance.

14:. Theprocess of preparing crawler vehicles for railroad shipment which consists in moving the vehicle into position on a railroad car, disconnecting the traveling treads adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected track longitudinally backward to clear the vehicle and piling such track connecting the forward ends of the traveling treads with a shipping track on the car, moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping tracks.

15. The process of preparing crawler vehicles for railroad shipment with consists in moving the vehicle into position on a railroad car, disconnecting the traveling treads adjacent one end of the vehicle, moving each upper portion of the disconnected track 1011 gitudinally backward to clear the vehicle, connecting the forward ends of the traveling treads with a shipping track on the car, moving the vehicle forwardly along the traveling treads and onto the shipping tracks.

16. In combination a railroad flat car of such size as to fall within railroad clearance, a crawler vehicle having traveling treads of such size as when mounted on a railroad car to extend beyond railroad clearance, the remainder of the vehicle falling within railroad clearance, a shipping track on the railroad car falling within railroad clearance and adapted to support the vehicle, the traveling treads being adapted to be disconnected at one or more points and the free end thereofat its articulation joints to be lined with the shipping track to permit movement of the vehicle from the traveling treads onto the shipping tracks.

17. In combination a railroad fiat car of such size as to all within railroad clearance, a crawler vehicle having traveling treads of such size as when mounted on a railroad car to extend beyond railroad clearance, the remainder of the vehicle falling within railroad clearance, a shipping track on the railroad car falling within railroad clearance, and adapted to support the vehicle, the traveling treads being adapted to be disconnected at one or more points and the free end thereof to be connected to the shipping track to permit movement of the vehicle from the traveling treads onto the shipping track.

18. In combination with a crawler vehicle, articulated traveling treads or tracks adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear and adapted to be disconnected at a predetermined articulation joint, shipping tracks adapted to support the vehicle to be connected to one end of the articulated traveling treads, but not adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear.

19. In combination with a crawler vehicle, articulated traveling treads adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear and adapted to be disconnected at an articulation joint, a shipping track adapted to support the vehicle to be connected at one end of the articulated traveling treads but not adapted to encircle the vehicle running gear, members on the shin 'ng tracks adapted to be lined with the d 1V6 members in the running gear to permitvehicle movement under its own power along the tracks.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, this 24th day of April,

lVlLLIAM W. SAYERS. ASG-ER EILERSGAARD. 

